In Ghana and among the Akans, most buying and selling activities go on in the open market. Buying and selling also goes on along the streets. There are also big market buildings where sellers have their stalls. They are mostly found in big cities. Examples are Kaneshie Market, Makola Market (in Accra), Asafo Market, Kejetia Market (in Kumasi), Kotokoraba Market (in Cape Coast) and Market Circle (in Takoradi). There are also malls or supermarkets where you can buy items. Most of the time food items are commonly sold in the open market. This does not mean other items are not found in the open market or food items are not sold in the malls or supermarkets. One advantage of buying in the open market is that there is constant bargaining. In the open market, even when items have tagged prices people still bargain. It is even customary to bargain with taxi drivers when you are going off a normal route or going to use the taxi services for a long period of time. Not bargaining is seen as a sign of affluence. It is also common to hear the seller say there is no price reduction the first time but upon insistence he/she reduces it. Sometimes you will be asked to say the price you can afford. Bargaining sometimes takes slightly a different form when it comes to buying items like fish, onions, salt and some food items in small groups. Instead of asking for reduction in price, the buyer appeals to the seller to add some of the items. Sometimes, the seller voluntarily adds some items especially if more quantities were bought. This does not happen in the malls and the supermarkets. There are special market days in some communities where farmers and buyers meet to transact business. At such places and times, items are a bit cheaper. It is worth noting that we do not use the left hand to give or receive anything. If for some reason you cannot use the right hand and want to use the left, say memma wo bankum (I don’t give you left) meaning “pardon me for my use of the left hand.” Occasionally, you will find somebody who will want to carry your items for a tip. They are call “akayafo or kayayo” Note that in the open market and sometimes in the malls items bought cannot be returned so make enquires before you buy.
Objective
After going through this chapter, you must be able to 1. Identify key words and expressions used in buying and selling. 2. Buy from the open market 3. Construct accurate simple sentences in Twi Mmaa redi dwa wɔ dwaso
Introduction
